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Bitcoin treasury company Strategy has continued its accumulation of the cryptocurrency, taking its holdings to 687,410 BTC with the latest purchase.

Strategy Has Acquired Another 13,627 Bitcoin

As announced in an X post by Strategy co-founder and chairman Michael Saylor, the company has completed a new Bitcoin acquisition involving 13,627 BTC, spending an average of $91,519 per token or a total of about $1.25 billion.

This purchase is rather large; in fact, it’s the biggest buy that the firm has made since July of last year. In his usual Sunday foreshadowing post, Saylor hinted that the acquisition would be significant, using the caption: “₿ig Orange.”

In a reply to the post, the Strategy chairman reflected on the company’s accumulation journey, saying, “Ironic that our $60.25 billion Bitcoin position started with a $0.25 billion purchase in August 2020.”

Following the purchase announcement, Strategy’s stack has officially grown to 687,410 BTC and total investment to $51.80 billion. At present, these holdings are valued at $63.28 billion, meaning that the treasury company is in a profit of more than 22%.

According to the filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the new acquisition took place in the week between January 5th and 11th, funded using proceeds from the company’s MSTR and STRC at-the-market (ATM) stock offerings.

Last Monday, Strategy announced expansions for both its Bitcoin treasury and US Dollar reserve, but the focus this week appears to have been on the cryptocurrency alone. The USD reserve, which was created by the company at the start of December, has seen two additions so far, and the latest one took its value to $2.25 billion.

In another X post, Saylor has also shared a chart that compares annualized returns for the best-performing assets in the “Bitcoin Standard Era,” referring to the period since August 2020 when the firm made its first purchase of the cryptocurrency.

As displayed in the graph, MSTR has produced the second-most annualized returns in this timespan, with its profits of 60% surpassing even BTC’s, which has managed a return of 45%.

The number one performing asset in the period has been Nvidia (NVDA), posting annual returns of 68%. The strength behind the company’s stock was initially driven by the Ethereum mining boom and more recently, by the rise of AI datacenters.

“The best-performing assets of this decade are Digital Intelligence $NVDA, Digital Credit $MSTR, and Digital Capital $BTC,” Saylor wrote, framing each asset under a distinct role.

BTC Price

Bitcoin kicked off 2026 with a recovery surge, but bullish momentum has faded for the asset as its price is still trading around $91,400.

Banking giant Standard Chartered is reportedly planning to launch a prime brokerage for cryptocurrency trading amid a global push by banks to establish digital asset ventures and compete in the sector.

Standard Chartered Plans Crypto Expansion

On Monday, Bloomberg reported that London-based Standard Chartered is allegedly preparing to expand its crypto efforts with the launch of a prime brokerage for digital assets trading.

According to sources familiar with the matter, discussions are in the early stages, and an official timeline for the launch has not been defined. However, they revealed that the major global bank plans to launch the new crypto business within its venture capital (VC) unit SV Ventures.

Notably, Standard Chartered’s VC unit recently announced that it is developing Project37C, a joint venture related to digital assets, but did not specifically call the platform a crypto prime brokerage. The joint venture is set to offer custody, tokenization, and market access, and “complement the broader Standard Chartered digital asset ecosystem.”

At the time, Harald Eltvedt, Operating Member and Head of Venture Building at SV Ventures, affirmed that “as we see institutional engagement with digital assets accelerating, there is similarly a growing need for platforms that combine innovation with a high standard.”

As the report noted, the banking giant has been one of the most active global financial institutions in the digital assets sector. Notably, it has backed multiple crypto ventures, including custodians and institutional trading platforms.

In July, the institution became the first global systemically important bank to offer spot Bitcoin and Ethereum trading for institutional clients. In Q4 2025, Standard Chartered announced its partnership with crypto exchange OKX in the European Economic Area (EEA) and its collaboration with DCS Card Center as the banking partner for a credit card that enables users to make stablecoin transactions.

Last month, Standard Chartered expanded its partnership with Coinbase to develop a suite of crypto prime services for institutional clients, including trading, staking, custody, and lending.

Global Banking Rules’ Challenge

Bloomberg highlighted that Standard Chartered could benefit from launching the new business through SC Ventures, as it may help circumvent some strict capital requirements for digital assets in corporate and investment banks.

It’s worth noting that the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) released its standard for the “prudential treatment of banks’ exposures to cryptoassets” in 2022, including tokenized traditional assets, stablecoins, and unbacked digital assets.

Under Basel III rules, banks that hold cryptocurrencies face a risk charge far higher than with any other risk assets. The institutions are required to comply with a 1,250% risk charge for exposure to permissionless crypto assets such as Bitcoin and Ether. Meanwhile, some VC investments under the latest Basel capital package only face a 400% charge.

As reported by Bitcoinist, global regulators are in talks to review and potentially overhaul rules for banks’ crypto holdings, set to come into force in 2026. Senior executives stated that banks have largely interpreted the standards as a signal to avoid crypto “since they imposed a heavy capital burden on such holdings.”

However, the recent global shift toward the crypto industry has sparked debates at the BCBS regarding the suitability of these rules under the current environment, with major jurisdictions, including the US and UK, not committing to implementing them on time.

The US has been reportedly leading calls to amend these standards, arguing that the rules are “incompatible with the industry’s evolution,” particularly in the stablecoin sector. Moreover, some countries seem to agree with the US’s reasoning and favor reviewing the standards before they are widely implemented.

The Bank of Italy ran a technical analysis that asks a stark question: What happens if Ethereum (ETH) falls to zero and stays there?

The recently released paper is authored by Claudia Biancotti for the Bank’s Markets, Infrastructures, Payment Systems series. It is listed as Number 74 and runs 11 pages.

Bank Of Italy Issues Technical Analysis

According to the Bank, permissionless blockchains like Ethereum act as settlement systems for a wide range of tokens and contracts. The institution treats the question as a stress test on infrastructure rather than only on asset prices.

The note warns that if a native token loses most of its market value and the drop remains persistent, the economic incentives that keep validators running could vanish. Validators might exit, the paper says, and that could make settlement slow or stop.

What The Paper Found

Based on reports in the Bank’s paper, the chain of effects is simple and worrying. Validators are paid in ETH. If ETH has next to no value, that payment no longer motivates operators.

As a result, transaction settlement could slow dramatically or, in extreme cases, halt. The paper also highlights that other assets using the chain — for example, tokenized securities or fully backed stablecoins — could become hard to move or could face security problems if the network’s defenses weaken.

Ethereum: Context And Reaction

Italy’s broader regulators have recently stepped up their look at crypto risks. Reports show the Economy Ministry ordered a review of safeguards, and the Bank of Italy’s paper fits into that wider push to quantify risks tied to new payment systems.

Reuters and other outlets covered the regulator-level review in December and January as authorities pressed firms to meet emerging rules.

Potential System Risks

The authors do not claim the scenario is likely. Instead, the exercise is framed as a way to show how market risk can turn into infrastructure risk. The paper points out there is no formal mechanism to “shut down” a permissionless chain in an orderly way.

Any mitigation would rely on voluntary action by validators, major staking firms, or protocol changes proposed and adopted by the community. That uncertainty is the main policy concern.

The Bank of Italy’s note is a technical, measured look at a worst-case scenario. It uses concrete data to argue that a collapse in Ethereum market value would not only hit holders but could also impair the functioning of systems that now run on Ethereum.

Featured image from Gemini, chart from TradingView

After months of intense negotiations involving both political parties, as well as representatives from the crypto industry and traditional banking sectors, the long-awaited week for the crypto market structure bill, known as the CLARITY Act, has arrived. 

Crypto journalist Eleanor Terret reported on Monday that ongoing disputes within the industry, partisan disagreements over crucial details, and the pressures exerted by legacy banking interests have repeatedly delayed the timeline.

CLARITY Act Text Set For Release 

On Friday, the Banking Committee leadership indicated that the most recent bipartisan version of the bill would be officially marked up early on Thursday, January 15. 

The new text of the CLARITY Act will utilize the existing framework of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, which passed through the House in July. This means the name “CLARITY Act” will remain, but the legislation will primarily reflect the Senate’s recent collaborative efforts.

As the week unfolds, the text set for the Banking Committee vote, which has undergone final edits, is expected to be distributed to senators on Monday or Tuesday for further amendments. 

According to Terret’s report, there are three major aspects that stakeholders will closely observe when the bill text is released. First, there is significant interest in what ethics rules will apply to public officials involved in the crypto space, including the President. 

Second, the ongoing debate regarding stablecoin rewards remains a focal point. Finally, how both Democrats and Republicans address decentralized finance (DeFi), particularly in relation to securities trading and concerns about illicit finance, is also among the key provisions to be.

Crypto Legislation Discussions

Amanda Tuminelli, Executive Director of the DeFi Education Fund, attended recent closed-door meetings involving leaders from both crypto and securities industries, stressing the importance of the regulatory balance in a digital assets bill. 

“Banks and trade associations like SIFMA have significant concerns about regulatory arbitrage, especially concerning decentralized exchanges trading tokenized securities,” she noted.

Tuminelli will also keep a keen eye on the potential inclusion of provisions related to self-custody, protections for software developers, and the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act (BRCA), which she considers essential for the bill’s success.

ConsenSys General Counsel Bill Hughes has also expressed optimism about the developments leading up to the markup, indicating a hopeful outlook heading into the deliberations.

The reports suggest that Thursday could see simultaneous markups from both the Senate Banking and Agriculture Committees. However, disputes over key provisions could threaten the bill’s bipartisan nature, potentially leading to a postponement. 

Negotiations between Senate Chairman John Boozman and Senator Cory Booker have seemingly continued over the weekend and may play a crucial role in determining the markup’s outcome, Terret asserted.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

Bitcoin is attempting to stabilize above the $90,000 level as markets digest fresh comments from Jerome Powell, which briefly reintroduced macro uncertainty into an already fragile environment. Powell’s remarks reinforced the Federal Reserve’s commitment to policy independence and data-driven decisions, a message that rattled risk assets after weeks of consolidation.

Bitcoin reacted with a short burst of volatility, slipping from local highs before finding tentative support near the $90K zone. While the move was not structurally destructive, it underscored how sensitive BTC remains to shifts in macro narratives.

Beyond the headline-driven reaction, on-chain data suggests that underlying demand remains subdued. According to an analysis by Darkfost, current conditions do not yet resemble the extreme weakness typically seen at the early stages of a full bear market.

However, demand has clearly softened compared to prior expansion phases. The focus is on a metric that compares new Bitcoin issuance with supply that has remained inactive for more than one year, a framework used to estimate so-called “apparent demand.”

When this ratio falls below zero, it indicates that long-term dormant supply entering the market outweighs new demand, signaling net selling pressure. When it moves above zero, demand is considered positive and absorption is occurring.

At present, the indicator remains weak, suggesting that while panic is absent, conviction from buyers is still limited. As Bitcoin hovers above $90,000, the balance between macro uncertainty and on-chain demand will likely define the next decisive move.

Demand Weakness Signals Caution, Not Capitulation

Currently, Bitcoin’s apparent demand remains firmly negative, with roughly −106,000 BTC on a 30-day cumulative basis. This reading confirms that more supply is entering the market than is being absorbed by new buyers, a dynamic typically associated with cautious positioning rather than aggressive accumulation. Investors appear risk-averse, gradually reducing exposure as Bitcoin continues to be treated as a high-beta asset sensitive to macro uncertainty and policy signals.

This negative demand environment reflects a market that is defensive but not panicked. There is no evidence of forced liquidation or broad capitulation; instead, the data points to controlled distribution and a lack of urgency from buyers. In practical terms, participants are waiting for clearer confirmation—either from macro conditions, price structure, or on-chain metrics—before committing fresh capital.

Importantly, history shows that periods of weak or negative demand often coincide with zones where long-term opportunities begin to form. When interest is low and sentiment is muted, prices tend to stabilize rather than trend aggressively, allowing patient investors to build positions with reduced competition. However, these conditions favor long-term, risk-managed strategies, not short-term speculation.

Betting aggressively against the prevailing demand trend remains risky. As long as apparent demand stays negative, upside moves are more likely to be corrective rather than impulsive. For now, Bitcoin sits in a phase where discipline matters more than conviction, and time—not momentum—becomes the primary ally.

Bitcoin Consolidates as Long-Term Support Holds

Bitcoin continues to consolidate after the sharp correction from the October highs, with price now stabilizing around the $90,500–$91,000 area. On this 3-day chart, BTC remains below its declining short- and medium-term moving averages, signaling that bearish momentum has not fully dissipated. The blue and green moving averages above price continue to act as dynamic resistance, capping upside attempts near the $94,000–$96,000 zone.

At the same time, the long-term trend structure has not broken. Bitcoin is still holding above the red long-term moving average, which is rising steadily and currently sits in the $88,000–$89,000 region. This level has acted as structural support during the recent consolidation, suggesting that sellers are losing strength as price compresses into a tighter range.

Price action over the past weeks shows lower volatility and overlapping candles, typical of a market transitioning from impulse to balance. Volume has also declined, reinforcing the idea that aggressive selling pressure has faded, but that buyers remain cautious and selective.

As long as BTC holds above the long-term moving average, this phase looks more like consolidation than trend reversal. However, a sustained reclaim of the $94,000–$96,000 resistance is required to confirm renewed upside momentum. Until then, Bitcoin remains range-bound, building energy for the next decisive move.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

According to X’s head of product, Nikita Bier, the social platform is rolling out a feature called Smart Cashtags that will show live price data, charts and clearer asset info when a user taps a ticker.

Reports have disclosed the move was teased on January 11, 2026, and that a wider release is being aimed for February 2026. The reveal came amid fresh debate in the crypto community, with some users praising the clarity and others warning about potential risks.

Smart Cashtags Deliver Live Prices

Based on reports, the update turns old ‘$TICKER’ mentions into a richer card inside timelines. Users will be able to tap a Smart Cashtag and see near real-time prices and a small performance chart without leaving the app.

For on-chain tokens, engineers say the backend will be almost real-time, which means newly launched tokens could appear quickly in the feed. According to sources, the feature will cover cryptocurrencies, stocks and other tradable assets.

X is the best source for financial news — and hundreds of billions of dollars are deployed based on things people read here.

We are building Smart Cashtags that allow you to specify the exact asset (or smart contract) when posting a ticker. From Timeline, users will be able to… pic.twitter.com/nFtuA2ISqJ

— Nikita Bier (@nikitabier) January 11, 2026

Precise Asset Tagging Cuts Confusion

Smart Cashtags let posters choose the exact asset or smart contract they mean. That helps reduce mixups when the same symbol is used across markets. Traders and casual users often got mixed signals from generic tags, for example when a token and a stock share a label. The new tags will link directly to a single asset, not a broad search, making it clearer which asset a post refers to.

Community Reaction And Quick Rollout Tests

According to commentary online, reaction has been mixed. Some market observers welcomed the faster access to price snapshots and the ability to tie a tag to a smart contract. Others raised concerns about data accuracy, possible delays, and how the feature could affect market chatter.

X is running early tests and collecting feedback as the company prepares for a broader release next month. Reports say the rollout will be iterative, with changes likely before full public availability.

Speculation About Trading Integration

Based on community discussion, some users see Smart Cashtags as a step toward deeper trading features inside X. There is talk that the data cards could later be linked to buy or trade options, but that has not been confirmed by X.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Bitcoin is attempting to hold above the $90,000 level as the market enters a new and increasingly decisive phase. After weeks of tight consolidation, BTC appears to be coiling for a volatile move, with price action compressing while conviction remains fragile on both sides of the market. This prolonged range has tested investor patience, but historically, such conditions often precede sharp expansions in volatility.

According to data shared by Axel Adler Jr., short-term holder behavior continues to reflect elevated stress beneath the surface. Since October 13, 2025, short-term holders have consistently been selling Bitcoin at a loss. The weekly average SOPR (Spent Output Profit Ratio) has remained firmly below the neutral 1.0 level, confirming that a large share of recent transactions are being realized at negative margins.

Compounding this signal, the SOPR Z-Score has remained negative, reinforcing the idea that loss-taking is not isolated or episodic, but rather persistent. This combination points to active distribution from short-term participants, even as Bitcoin trades well above long-term structural support zones.

This dynamic highlights a growing divergence within the market. While long-term structure remains intact, short-term participants are increasingly capitulating into weakness. As Bitcoin continues to defend the $90K region, the next directional move is likely to be shaped by whether this selling pressure exhausts—or accelerates into a deeper correction.

Short-Term Holders Capitulate as Loss-Dominant Regime Persists

The latest on-chain update from Adler focuses on the behavior of short-term holders through the STH SOPR metric, which measures the ratio between the selling price and the acquisition price of coins that last moved within the past 155 days. When this indicator trades below 1.0, it means that short-term participants are, on average, realizing losses rather than profits.

As of January 11, the STH SOPR (7-day simple moving average) stands at 0.994, while the daily reading dropped to 0.9817, marking its lowest level since the start of the year. This is not an isolated data point. On January 8, the 7-day SOPR average crossed below the 30-day average, falling from 0.9996 to 0.9928. This crossover provides technical confirmation of a regime shift toward a loss-dominant environment.

Further reinforcing this signal, the SOPR Z-Score currently sits at -0.58. This indicates that SOPR values are trading roughly half a standard deviation below their annual mean, a zone that has historically coincided with local price bottoms rather than trend exhaustion.

Sustained SOPR readings below 1.0 increase psychological and financial pressure on short-term investors, often forcing capitulation. A meaningful regime change would require the 7-day SOPR to reclaim levels above 1.0, supported by a Z-Score turning positive and signaling renewed profitability for short-term holders.

Bitcoin Consolidates as the Market Searches for Direction

Bitcoin’s weekly chart shows a market locked in consolidation after a sharp correction from the October highs, with price currently hovering just above the $90,000 level. This zone has become a key pivot, acting as short-term support after BTC failed to hold above the $95,000–$100,000 region. The recent candles reflect indecision rather than strong directional conviction, consistent with a broader pause in momentum.

From a trend perspective, Bitcoin remains above its long-term moving averages, with the 200-week MA still rising well below the current price. This confirms that, structurally, the broader uptrend has not been invalidated. However, the shorter-term moving averages have flattened, and price is trading below the faster weekly MA, highlighting a loss of upside momentum since late 2025.

The consolidation structure resembles a range-bound base, where volatility has compressed following the aggressive sell-off. Volume has declined compared to the distribution phase near the highs, suggesting that forced selling pressure has eased, but new demand has yet to step in decisively. This aligns with on-chain data showing weak participation from marginal buyers.

As long as BTC holds above the $88,000–$90,000 support band, the market appears to be digesting gains rather than entering a full trend reversal. A sustained reclaim of the $95,000 area would signal renewed strength, while a breakdown below current support could open the door to a deeper corrective leg.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

Dogecoin has changed back to its technical structure as the price action digests the recent price rally. After the initial volatility seen earlier in the month, price action has begun to stabilize, and recent technical analyses are evaluating what the larger trend is revealing.

Based on that context, a higher-timeframe technical analysis shared on X by Javon Marks has outlined a scenario that frames the current price action as part of a wider bullish continuation built on repeating historical patterns on Dogecoin’s long-term chart.

Higher Lows Shaping The Trend

Technical analysis of Dogecoin’s 6-day candlestick timeframe chart shows an interesting formation taking place in its price action since 2024, and this goes back to how it traded much earlier cycles stretching as far back as 2016. 

The main idea behind this long-term technical analysis is Dogecoin’s ability to maintain a sequence of higher lows throughout different market cycles. The 6-day candlestick chart by the analyst shows that each major pullback in the Dogecoin price over the years has found support along a rising trend line, which has allowed the price to consolidate and reset without breaking the broader structure. 

The present setup reflects that same behavior, with recent pullbacks holding above ascending support. Dogecoin’s recent price action is holding above $0.13, and this can be considered a higher low compared to the lows in 2024 and 2025. As long as this pattern of higher lows is intact, then the macro trend can be viewed as supportive of higher prices over time.

Projecting A 369% Push Back To The All-Time High

The technical analysis on the chart also shows how earlier periods of consolidations and higher lows eventually resolved into powerful upward moves. Playouts of the previous rallies broke above their previous all-time highs and then created a new all-time high. The first case was a break above the 2014 high of $0.00232 in 2017 to finally end at a new high of $0.01877. This high was then broken again in 2021 to finally reach a new peak, which serves as the current reference level for current price action.

In this case, the reference level is Dogecoin’s all-time high around $0.73905. Based on current price levels, a rally of roughly 369% would be enough to carry Dogecoin back to that zone. 

Interestingly, the analysis goes a step further to predict a move past the current all-time high with a move of at least 4.5X from the current price level. Dogecoin’s current price level is trading at $0.14 at the time of writing, and this would put it trading at a price target of at least $0.8 when the move finally plays out. 

Senator Elizabeth Warren has reached out directly to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins, questioning how the regulatory agency intends to uphold its mandate of investor protection while supporting President Donald Trump’s executive order to allow crypto investments in retirement plans.

Warren Against Crypto In Retirement Plans

Warren expressed deep concerns in a letter addressed to Atkins on Monday, in which she emphasized that for most Americans, 401(k) plans are a vital source of retirement security and should not be treated as a “playground for financial risk.” 

She warned that permitting digital assets into these accounts could create significant risks, leaving workers and families vulnerable to substantial financial losses.

“The volatility associated with cryptocurrencies, the lack of market transparency, and potential conflicts of interest make me apprehensive about the Trump Administration’s decision to introduce these risky assets into critical retirement plans,” Warren stated in her letter. 

The anti-digital asset senator also expressed skepticism about the potential benefits of allowing 401(k) plans to offer alternative investments, arguing that these options often come with higher fees and expenses. 

SEC Chair Says Innovation Is Key

In her letter, Warren also posed several questions to the SEC aimed at clarifying how it plans to mitigate risks associated with cryptocurrencies in retirement plans. 

She inquired whether the SEC has ensured that publicly traded companies disclosing information about cryptocurrencies are accurately representing fair market values, given the inherent volatility of these assets. 

She also sought information on whether the SEC’s Division of Risk and Analysis has evaluated manipulative practices in digital asset markets and whether it plans to publish educational materials for retail investors.

Despite her concerns, Warren’s viewpoint may face challenges, given the Trump administration’s pro-digital asset stance and Chair Atkins’s previous statements that suggest a more favorable approach to cryptocurrencies in the United States. 

Back in August, during an interview on CNBC, Atkins indicated that while the SEC aims to encourage innovation in the crypto space, protecting investors remains a primary objective. He noted that the SEC’s “Project Crypto” aims to position the United States as the world’s leading crypto hub.

Featured image from NBC, chart from TradingView.com 

Technical analysis of Dogecoin’s price action on the daily candlestick timeframe chart shows that the meme coin has spent the past several months grinding lower inside a clearly defined descending channel. However, technical analysis proposes that the structure may be nearing its end. 

A daily chart shared on X by crypto analyst Jonathan Carter points to a setup that shows Dogecoin is about to break out of the descending channel. Although the meme coin has yet to confirm a full breakout, the chart now shows multiple conditions aligning that traders are closely watching.

Descending Channel Nearing Its Breaking Point

Dogecoin has spent an extended period moving within a declining structure that has repeatedly limited upside attempts since September 2025. This prolonged compression has kept price action controlled and largely predictable, but it has also stored directional pressure beneath the surface. Each attempt to move higher was previously rejected at the upper boundary, keeping the price compressed into a descending channel.

That structure, however, now appears to be weakening. According to technical analysis from Jonathan Carter, that pressure is now beginning to tilt upward, with recent trading behavior showing less follow-through from sellers than in recent weeks.

Recent candles show Dogecoin pushing higher from the lower boundary of the channel and pressing toward its upper trendline. Although it was rejected at the upper boundary early January, it hasn’t veered far away from the top of the channel. This is important because descending channels often act as continuation patterns only until buying pressure overwhelms sellers at resistance.

50-Day Moving Average And The Path Back To $0.30

One of the more notable details on the chart is Dogecoin’s interaction with the 50-day moving average. After spending weeks trading below this level, price has now reclaimed it and is attempting to hold above it. 

Holding above the 50-day average strengthens the case that the current move is not just another short-lived bounce. As long as the Dogecoin price continues to hold above this moving average, then the bullish outlook is valid.

If Dogecoin manages to break cleanly above the channel resistance, the analysis outlines a sequence of upside levels that could come into play quickly. Initial follow-through would place the price back into the mid-$0.15 range, followed by a push toward the high-$0.18s and the $0.20 region, areas that previously acted as congestion zones. 

After that, the chart points to $0.24 as the next target and then finally $0.28 to $0.30 as the last recovery target zone before any rejection comes into the picture.

These are short- to mid-term price targets, not long-term projections. These targets are very feasible and can even be reached within the next few weeks if a bullish wave of sentiment were to sweep across the entire crypto market. 

Bitcoin and the broader crypto market are heading into a tightly packed US macro calendar just as Washington’s crypto rulebook lurches toward a key committee vote.

The week’s tone was set late Sunday when Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell disclosed that the Justice Department had served the Fed with grand jury subpoenas and threatened a criminal indictment tied to his prior testimony on a Federal Reserve building renovation.

Powell framed it as political pressure aimed at monetary policy and dismissed the probe’s stated rationale in unusually blunt terms: “The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Fed setting rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President.”

The immediate market reaction was measured but clear: dollar softness and weaker US equity futures, meanwhile Bitcoin rallied back above $92,000 while major altcoins also registered modest gains. However, it needs to be seen how these gains can be sustained when the US market opens.

#1 Bitcoin And Crypto Face Crucial Macro Week

The first major scheduled macro waypoint is US CPI for December 2025, due Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 8:30 a.m. ET. With crypto still trading as a high-beta expression of global liquidity and real-rate expectations, CPI remains the week’s most direct input into the front end of the curve and, by extension, the dollar’s near-term direction.

For the US inflation prints, the market is walking into Tuesday with a fairly tight consensus: December CPI is expected at +0.3% month-over-month, with headline inflation seen holding at 2.7% year-over-year. On the core side, estimates cluster around +0.31% m/m and 2.7% y/y.

The last CPI read (November 2025) was 2.7% y/y on headline and 2.6% y/y for “all items less food and energy” (core). Because the October CPI observation was not published due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations, BLS reported the monthly change as a two-month move: CPI-U rose 0.2% from September to November on a seasonally adjusted basis.

On Wednesday, attention shifts to the delayed producer-price release. BLS is scheduled to publish the November 2025 PPI on Jan. 14, and it has said October data will be published alongside that November release (there will be no standalone October PPI report).

As for the numbers traders will key off, calendar consensus going into the Jan. 14 release points to headline PPI at +0.3% m/m and 2.7% y/y, with core PPI seen at +0.1% m/m and 2.6% y/y. The last available PPI print before that batch release was September 2025, which showed +0.3% m/m and +2.7% y/y for final demand.

Later the same day, markets may also have to price a legal headline with macro reach: The US Supreme Court is expected to issue rulings on Jan. 14, with President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs among the major cases still pending. The Court does not pre-announce which cases will be decided, but a tariff decision could have a heavy price impact on all financial markets, with Bitcoin and crypto likely to follow the move from US equities.

#2 Senate Committee Markup Set For Jan. 15

On the crypto-native side, US market structure legislation is moving toward a decisive committee step. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott announced the committee will hold a markup on “comprehensive digital asset market structure legislation” on Thursday, Jan. 15.

That markup matters less as a final outcome than as a signal on whether negotiators have the votes and the coalition to advance a coherent framework toward a floor process.

#3 BNB Chain’s Fermi Upgrade

BNB Chain has scheduled its Fermi hard fork for Jan. 14 at 02:30 UTC, delivered via the BSC v1.6.4 client release. The chain’s own blog positions the upgrade as a speed-and-reliability push: “Fermi focuses on making BSC faster […] predictable and reliable as network usage grows. The upgrade shortens block times, strengthens finality […] and ensures the chain continues to perform consistently.”

The headline technical changes are a reduction in block time from 0.75 seconds to 0.45 seconds and tightened fast-finality rules—parameters that matter most for latency-sensitive applications and high-throughput periods.

#4 Polygon’s Open Money Stack

Polygon is teeing up a Jan. 13 X Spaces event (12 p.m. ET) billed as an “inside scoop” on its “Open Money Stack” vision from Sandeep Nailwal and Polygon Labs CEO Marc Boiron. The published vision frames the initiative as a modular stack spanning rails, wallets, on/off-ramps, stablecoin interoperability, compliance, and onchain identity—aimed at making stablecoin and tokenized-money movement feel more like default internet plumbing than a bespoke crypto workflow.

Polygon’s own write-up makes the ambition explicit: “But our north star is clear: move all money onchain […] Because onchain money is more versatile, money will move and remain onchain.”

At press time, Bitcoin traded at $90,768.

Despite several drawbacks in Bitcoin price lately, the flagship asset appears to be gaining bullish momentum and holding above the $90,000 mark. Looking at the current market structure, BTC is hinting at one of its rarest setups that could reshape and determine the next potential direction.

Uncommon Bitcoin Market Structure In Sight

As seen in the cryptocurrency space, every market cycle has its own peculiarities, but Bitcoin is about to experience one of its most peculiar times yet. Alphractal, an advanced investment and data analytics platform, shared this development, which could reshape the current BTC trend.

Although no single indication can predict a result, the current configuration indicates that something uncommon is developing beneath the surface. It is worth noting that bear markets have been linked to negative 1-year percentage changes in the past when a small decline was followed by a robust bull market, with the exception of July 2020.

Currently, the ongoing setup is demonstrating a very similar trend to that of 2020, which makes this a rare event. However, for the flagship asset to flip this key metric to green again and become the second time in its history, it only has to increase by 4.5%.

In an alternate scenario where the metric fails to turn green or move upward, the annual performance will continue to be negative in line with prior bear market cycles. Meanwhile, whether Bitcoin breaks yet another uncommon historical pattern and initiates a new trend shift will depend on a move of about 5%.

Amid this impending rare shift, the buying pressure around Bitcoin is slowly picking up pace, as reported by Maartunn, a market expert and author at CryptoQuant. The BTC Taker Buy Sell Ratio metric is showing strong aggression on the buy side, particularly on the Bybit exchange, indicating a renewed conviction among investors.

Maartunn highlighted that the measure on Bybit has recently reached the 30.33 level, signaling overwhelming market buy pressure. Furthermore, this level of taker dominance indicates that large positions are steadily being created, with aggressive buyers taking control of the market.

BTC Experience A Key Breakout

Even in the volatile cryptocurrency market, several crucial metrics are beginning to flash strength and moving into positive territory again. One of the most recent metrics that has turned bullish is the Bitcoin Sharpe Ratio, a key gauge that measures returns against volatility.

In an X post, crypto expert CW noted that the metric has re-entered the yellow as seen on the chart, which suggests a breakout from a short-term bottom. The current trend indicates that the ongoing cycle has transitioned into a brief period of a high-risk zone.

During this period, there has been a consistent accumulation by large holders or whales, and indicators are demonstrating a breakout from the bottom. Such a bullish scenario hints at a possible rally in the near future, rekindling the bull market.

Talks of an impending altcoin season are once again gaining traction in the market as major cryptocurrencies saw a fresh rebound at the start of this year. A crypto analyst has likened the current altcoin market trend to that seen in January 2019—a period that marked the early stages of a major market turn. The comparison now has many traders watching closely to see whether the market could be setting up for a similar move. 

Current Altcoin Market Echoes Trend From January 2019

Crypto pundit Chad Steingraber said in a recent X post that today’s market feels a lot like January 2019, when investor sentiment was extremely negative. At the time, Bitcoin was trading near $3,000, and Ethereum’s price was around $100, when most believed the market was over. Yet despite the downtrend, the analyst revealed that he had invested heavily in both cryptocurrencies. 

Although the market was recovering from a bear market, Steingraber revealed that things began to turn around in April of that year, leading to the strong long-term results that are now widely known. Notably, during that time, the crypto market saw a strong breakout that changed sentiment across the space. 

According to CoinGecko’s yearly report for 2019, Bitcoin’s price surged over $13,000 in June and ended the year 95% higher than where it started. This price jump helped drive a broader market rally and marked a key transition from bear market lows earlier in the year. Altcoins also reacted to this surge in market momentum, as traders and investors sought growth beyond Bitcoin and diversified into lower-cap cryptocurrencies. 

While some altcoins, including Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash, climbed by more than 40% in 2019, other large-cap tokens, such as XRP, performed poorly, finishing the year significantly weaker despite earlier strength in 2018. Excluding individual altcoin gains, the total cryptocurrency market capitalization grew by more than 44% in 2019, peaking at $350 billion in late June. The market also experienced a surge in trading volume of over 600%, along with renewed enthusiasm among investors who had stayed on the sidelines during the prior downturn. 

Altcoin Market Eyes Breakout As Analyst Flags 221B Level

In a separate post, crypto analyst @brain2jene shared a chart tracking the total altcoin market capitalization, excluding the top 10 coins. He explained that a Falling Wedge breakout has already set the stage for the market’s next move. The analyst noted that the wedge pattern has been forming for weeks and emphasized that altcoins typically begin to move once the price breaks above the wedge lines shown on the chart. 

The chart also shows a clear pullback after the price hit the 221.87B resistance, which @brain2jene identified as the key level to watch. He explained that a clean break above 221.87B is critical and could add another $50-$60 billion to the market, with the target zone near the upper trend line.

Related Reading: Altcoin Season Index Crashes To Low 17 As Bitcoin Price Struggles, What This Means

Supporting this outlook, momentum appears strong, as the RSI on the chart has broken out of a downtrend. The analyst noted that this could signal the start of a broader altcoin rally, potentially boosting the price of coins like VeChain (VET), SUI, Internet Computer (ICP), and IMO.

South Korea is reportedly planning to allow corporations to invest in crypto, a move that would see the overturn of a nine-year-old ban.

South Korea Sets Crypto Corporate Investing Limit At 5%

South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) has drafted guidelines to allow listed companies and professional investors to trade crypto, according to a report from South Korean media outlet BusinessKorea. The FSC shared the draft with a public-private task force on January 6th, and according to a high-ranking financial industry official, authorities are expected to release the final guidelines between January and February.

Since 2017, corporate and institutional players in South Korea have been under an effective prohibition from trading and investing in digital assets like Bitcoin, with the government citing speculation and money-laundering risks. The country’s stance began to shift in February 2025, when the FSC announced a plan to gradually allow institutional participation in the space. The latest guidelines are a follow-up to this announcement.

South Korea easing up on corporate crypto investments hasn’t come without restrictions, however. Authorities have reportedly set an investment cap of 5% of equity capital, which companies can only deploy into coins inside the top 20 by market cap list. These assets will be determined based on the semi-annual market cap data sourced from the top five domestic digital asset exchanges.

Stablecoins tied to the US Dollar, like USDT and USDC, currently fall inside the top 20 list, but whether they will be included as permitted investment targets is still being discussed.

While South Korea is planning on a 5% investment cap, other countries like the US or Japan have no such limits on corporate investing. One financial industry insider has raised concerns about the restriction, saying that “investment limit restrictions not found overseas could weaken capital inflow factors and prevent the emergence of virtual currency investment specialist companies.”

South Korea has also made other developments related to the crypto industry recently. The East Asian nation is planning to introduce digital asset spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) this year, looking to investment vehicles active in the US and Hong Kong as reference points.

The FSC is also working on the next phase of its digital asset legislation, which could see the establishment of a regulatory framework for stablecoins. As reported by Bitcoinist, the bill has so far been delayed due to a dispute between the FSC and the Bank of Korea (BoK).

The BoK, South Korea’s central bank, has been pushing for banks to own at least a 51% stake in any stablecoin issuer seeking approval in the country. While the FSC agrees that financial institutions should be involved in the issuance of won stablecoins, the regulator has raised concerns that a bank majority requirement could limit market participation and innovation.

Bitcoin Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $90,600, down 2.5% over the past week.

Украинская Национальная комиссия по регулированию электронных коммуникаций (НКЭК) внесла платформу для криптоставок Polymarket в реестр заблокированных интернет-ресурсов. Регулятор классифицирует сервис как организатора азартных игр, а для этого нужна лицензия, которой у Polymarket нет.

Крупнейший публичный корпоративный держатель первой криптовалюты, компания Strategy докупила 13 627 BTC на $1,25 млрд. Покупки совершались с 5 по 11 января при средней цене $91 519 за монету.  

Ethereum’s current strength is largely linked to its network performance and activity, which has been demonstrating robust growth. While the leading blockchain has witnessed sharp growth in several key areas, one area is currently standing out, and that is the economic activity on the network.

A Divergence Between Ethereum’s Real Activity And Price

With the broader cryptocurrency landscape evolving, Milk Road, a market expert and trader, has revealed that the Ethereum network is showcasing signs of robust strength. When compared to its recent price performance, the leading network subtly conveys a different narrative. 

Despite the fact that ETH’s market value has occasionally fluctuated or even lagged behind riskier assets, the quantity of economic activity being settled on the blockchain has continued to rise. The disparity highlights a crucial aspect of ETH’s current cycle that its fundamentals are strengthening beneath the surface, while market sentiment is not accurately reflecting it.

At the same time, the Ethereum network is being chosen for live deployment by increasing institutional capital. This kind of increases a chain that is becoming less of a speculative asset and more of a financial infrastructure. 

According to Milk Road, these participants are more focused on uptime, liquidity, settlement certainty, and compliance, which narrows the set of viable networks quickly. Meanwhile, the economic weight placed on Ethereum’s base layer becomes significant as more activity occurs on the chain, increasing transaction volume and fee income.

As seen in the past, ETH has had difficulty staying flat for extended periods of time when demand is high. However, the analyst expects the price of ETH to increase as adoption rises.

Real Assets Are Swamping The Network

According to a report from Leon Waidmann, the head of research at On-Chain Foundation, Tokenized Real-World Assets (RWAs) are quickly emerging as one of Ethereum’s key growth drivers. With real-world assets moving into ETH, the development is bringing traditional finance activity on-chain at a fast rate.

This change is more than just buzz as institutional infrastructure, token issuance, and settlement volumes are all growing at the same time, transforming ETH’s status. Data shows that the market cap of stablecoins found on the network is approximately $190 billion, indicating ETH’s growing choice as the major chain for crypto finance. 

Meanwhile, the total amount of tokenized funds has reached between $6 billion and $7 billion, and is still growing rapidly. Its tokenized commodities have hit over $4 billion, which appears to be still breaking out to new highs.  Furthermore, ETH’s tokenized stocks are valued at around $400 million to $500 million, but this is just the beginning. Such a scenario suggests that tokenization of real-world assets may be the foundation of Ethereum’s next significant adoption phase.

Considering the robust growth in these areas, Waidmann stated that “ETH is becoming the default settlement layer for real assets.” Waidmann’s claims are not based on simple narratives, but on the fact that the network already works at scale.

Сооснователь Эфириума Виталик Бутерин назвал условия, при которых его блокчейн смог бы стать достаточно устойчивым и «окостеневшим», чтобы выполнить свою первоначальную миссию — быть фундаментом для децентрализованных приложений и смарт-контрактов.

Приватная криптовалюта Monero (XMR) достигла нового исторического максимума $599 при рыночной капитализации $10,4 млрд. Инвестиционный директор криптофонда Merkle Tree Capital Райан Макмиллин (Ryan McMillin) объяснил происходящее возобновлением интереса трейдеров к криптовалютам, сохраняющим конфиденциальность владельца.

Глава исследовательского отдела компании CoinShares Джеймс Баттерфилл (James Butterfill) сообщил, что со 2 по 10 января биржевые криптофонды (ETF) потеряли $454 млн. Причина — надежды инвесторов на снижение процентной ставки Федеральной резервной системой США (ФРС) и удешевление банковских кредитов почти угасли, считает аналитик.